Former Secretary of State John Kerry was caught on camera fuming over a question about his use of private jets.
During a hearing held by a House subcommittee, Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) began a line of inquiry about Chinese solar panels by addressing the witness, Kerry, with a quip. “I hope it wasn’t too problematic for your operational team and your private jet to get here,” he said.
“I just don’t agree with your facts, which began with the presentation of one of the most outrageously persistent lies that I hear, which is this private jet,” Kerry said. “We don’t own a private jet. I don’t own a private jet. I personally have never owned a private jet. And obviously it’s pretty stupid to talk about coming in a private jet from the State Department up here. Honestly, if that’s where you want to go, go there.”
Kerry faced follow-up questions from Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL), who reminded the witness he was under oath as the lawmaker entered into the record a Fox News report from February that said Kerry’s family sold their private jet, a Gulfstream GIV-SP, to a New York based-hedge fund after it made headlines for how many trips it took and its estimated hundreds of metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions since the start of the Biden administration.
Asked if he stood by his testimony, Kerry said that his wife, Heinz ketchup fortune heiress Teresa Heinz, “owned a plane.”
Kerry noted, “We’re not asking Americans not to fly. You’re trying to create an unequal thing. We’re not saying, ‘Don’t fly.’” Kerry also said he would be “happy” to provide Congress with records about his official, taxpayer-funded travel.
Kerry’s use of private jets has been a source of controversy for years. However, the incident during the Senate hearing brought the issue to the forefront. Kerry’s angry reaction to the question only served to highlight the hypocrisy of his climate change activism.
John Kerry: "We don't own a private jet. I don't own a private jet. I've personally have never owned a private jet. And, obviously, it's pretty stupid to talk about coming in a private jet from the State Department up here. Honestly, if that's where you want to go, go there!" pic.twitter.com/yEOmMsfoKK
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 13, 2023
